“I am concerned because I know Sebastian quite well and he was provocative by aborting his best lap (in Barcelona) on the finish straight several times. Everyone noticed it.

“Someone who does this is very confident in himself and his knowledge of the qualities of his car,” the Austrian added.

It is believed Ferrari and Mercedes could be neck-and-neck ahead of the season opener in Australia next weekend, while a bigger question mark lingers over Red Bull’s pace.

“The tests showed that Valtteri Bottas cannot match Lewis Hamilton’s level. Mercedes still has the advantage but they will no longer occupy first and second places — there will be other drivers between them,” Marko predicted.

Meanwhile, many pundits are expecting Adrian Newey’s technical team to spring a surprise in Melbourne.

“Normally the teams take new parts to Australia,” admitted Marko. “As for what we will have, I say only that our colours will definitely be the same!”